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 Printing of Documents from the Supplier Workplace

Purpose

In some functions of the Supplier Workplace, you can print a document, for example, a scheduling agreement release, locally from the Internet. These print functions are provided in the backend system (DI 4.6C2) on the basis of the standard print function.

To print from the browser, you need to make valid settings (message types, condition records, and so on) in the message determination function for each business process. If the message determination process finds more than one message, the document cannot be printed. The user must then contact the operator of the Supplier Workplace, that is, the manufacturer. In addition, you make certain settings in Customizing to be able to print from the browser.

Prerequisites

You have made the following settings in the SAP System:

  • For the message determination function, you have made all the necessary settings for printing normally from the SAP System. These are the message condition records for the medium 1 (print) and also program adjustments in the print programs themselves.

  • When determining the message for the document to be printed, the system found several message condition records, that means, the result of the message determination is not unique. To avoid this, you have set a preferred message type in Customizing. In addition, you can maintain the message condition records so that the system only ever finds one relevant message condition record for the documents to be printed. It is then not necessary to make the setting in Customizing.

Note Note

In contrast to when you print normally from the SAP System, the condition record found by the message determination is not saved when you print from the browser. This record is used only for the determination of the print program to be used, of the form and of other settings. The print program is activated from within the program and not by the processing of a saved condition record.

End of the note.

  • At first, the printing is simulated using the settings from the condition record; that means, the print program and the form (or the smartform) proceed as if you are printing normally. However, the result is transferred from the print routines to a conversion routine that the PDF data stream generates. To use the simulative print and the PDF conversion, you make adjustments in the coding in the individual print programs for the documents. See Adjusting the Print Routines .

  • For all documents that can be printed from the browser in the Supplier Workplace, you define in Customizing whether and, if so, how the message condition record proceeds if more than one message is determined. You find the activity in Customizing, under Start of the navigation path Materials Management Next navigation step Supplier Workplace Next navigation step Settings for Web Printing. End of the navigation path

Process: each business process that is supported by the function for printing from the browser has an entry here. The individual business processes are provided by SAP. They cannot be enhanced or changed. Examples of a business process are outbound forecast or JIT delivery schedules, credit memo display, and so on.

Application: each business process is assigned to a message application. It is displayed here for information purposes. These are the same message applications that are used in the normal message control function for these types of documents.

Process Group: the individual business processes are put into groups. SAP assigns them and this display is purely for information purposes.

Message Type: you enter which message type is the preferred message type for the business process. This setting is then relevant if the message determination finds more than one message.

Always: if you set this parameter as active, the system always uses the preferred condition type that is entered in the message condition type. Remember that the message determination function must then always be able to determine a message condition record for this message type.

Process Flow

If the user of the Supplier Workplace starts the print function for a document, the system proceeds as follows:

  • The system accesses the message determination function for the document to be printed.

  • The result of this message determination must be unique, that means, the system must find just one message condition record for the medium "1" (print).

  • The system reads all entries in this message condition record that are necessary for the printing, that means,

  • the print program

  • the form and print program (or SmartForm)

  • the partner role, and so on.

  • The printing is simulated, that means, no data is transferred to the printer spool or to a printer.

  • The system converts this simulated print to PDF format and sends it to the user’s browser over the ITS (Internet Transaction Server).

Result

In the user’s browser – depending on the settings – a window opens in the Acrobat Reader with the corresponding document. The user can now print the document locally from the browser.

SAP provides a test tool for testing the printing function. See Test Program for Printing from the Supplier Workplace .